1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to safety helmets such as those worn for example by motorcyclists, police officers, or race car drivers which are subject to high velocity air streams caused either by high speed travel, high wind velocities or a combination of both. More particularly, the invention relates to an air stream deflector unit made either integral with the helmet body or provided as a helmet after market attachment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art contains various examples of devices for attachment to hard hats and other protective head gear to shield the wearer's neck and face against the elements. Devices such as those shown in the U.S. patents to Daniels U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,319; Avey U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,163 and Blake U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,691 seek to solve the problem by the use of wraparound enclosures connected to the helmet and surrounding the wearer's neck and/or face. This approach to protecting the wearer has also been applied to motorcycle helmets as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,550 to Perlinger. Although the disclosure in this patent recognizes the problem of air flow about the helmet, the proposed solution is a closure for the head opening in the helmet which surrounds the wearer's neck. No attempt is made to deflect the air stream flow. In fact, very little attention has been given to diverting or deflecting the air stream about a cyclist's or other wearer's helmet which is subject to high velocity air flow.
Although U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,197 to Hubbard recognizes some of the problems caused by high velocity airflow about the cyclist's helmet, the object in this patent is to aerodynamically balance the front and rear air pressure against the helmet at high speeds. For this purpose a visor is attached to the backside of the helmet and acts as a fixed air scoop for somehow directing air pressure against the back of the helmet to balance that pressure acting on the front face shield. In the Hubbard device, the air stream is apparently redirected with increased force to the backside of the helmet and the wearer's neck which would seem to augment the problems of airflow addressed by the present invention.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,280,402 and 3,286,275 to G. Scheibchen and J. L. Marchello respectively are cited as being of interest for their showing of conventional hat brims used for protective headgear. These structures either strengthen or rigidify the rear edge of protective gear, such as seen in Scheibchen, or are used for the purpose of style as seen in the conventional hat design of Marchello. Neither of these devices relate to headgear or protective helmets subject to high velocity air stream and the problems caused thereby.
The patent to Allison U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,736 is cited as an example of a projection about the bottom edge of a protective helmet, in this case one worn by football player. The device is in the form of a collar about the base of the helmet which cooperates with shoulder pads to prevent neck injuries.